The present invention is directed to bicycle shift control devices and, more particularly, to a positioning apparatus for a bicycle shift control device.
Typical bicycle transmissions include internal transmissions (e.g., internal hub transmissions) and external transmissions (e.g., derailleurs). One or more shift control devices mounted near the rider are used to control the operation of such bicycle transmissions. Each shift control device usually is coupled to an associated transmission through a shift control cable in the form of a Bowden cable. A conventional shift control device comprises a winding lever, a release lever, and a positioning mechanism for positioning the shift control cable in the various transmission operating positions. Such a shift control device is shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2007-001561, for example.
A conventional positioning mechanism comprises a movable member (typically a winding body) with a portion that rotates within a plane, a positioning member that positions the movable member in a plurality of predetermined shift positions, a biasing member that biases the positioning member towards the movable member, a winding lever that rotates the movable member in a winding direction, and a release lever that cooperates with the positioning member to allow the movable member to rotate in an unwinding direction. A typical release lever is located away from the positioning member, wherein the positioning member is disposed between the release lever and the movable member. This limits the ability to design a compact shift control device.